This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

The election at hand is for all-star game starters and with balloting ending at 12:59 p.m. Monday, the late surge is on to convince fans that both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are worthy of support as Eastern Conference starters.

“Words can’t explain it,” Lowry said of the possibility of starting alongside DeRozan for the Feb. 14 game at the Air Canada Centre.

It’s going to take some doing to accomplish that and fans only have Monday to vote through nba.com or various social media avenues.

In the last announced results, Lowry was about 32,000 votes behind Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving for the second of two conference backcourt spots and DeRozan was sixth, more than 100,000 behind and with Washington’s John Wall and Chicago’s Jimmy Butler to also vault over.

Article Continued Below

If neither is elected by fans — the starters are to be announced Thursday — they could be added among the final seven roster additions as picked by conference coaches.

“I know in my heart of hearts that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are all-stars,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “I’ve been in this thing too long and seen to many good players to not understand that they’re all-star players.”

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com